Dakota Fanning, now 31, shared her challenges with modern dating and the frustrations of online apps during a recent interview, highlighting her contentment with being single for the time being. Speaking from Los Angeles, she revealed how navigating the dating world has been tough, yet she remains hopeful about finding the right match while balancing her career and future family aspirations.
Challenges of Modern Dating and Matchmaking Attempts
After turning 30 last year, Fanning recounted how friends have tried to set her up with potential dates, often with disappointing results. These attempts led her to question not just the suitability of the matches but also her friendships themselves.
I know what I have to give and I know what I deserve in return,
Fanning told The Times of London on October 25.
I’m super happy to wait for that.
She expressed doubt about the choices her friends made on her behalf, noting how it sometimes made her reconsider the nature of their relationships.
You’re like, ‘Is this what you think of me?’
she said.
Then, you question the friendship with that person.
Dating Apps: Photograph Clichés and Idealized Profiles
Like many singles, Fanning has explored the digital dating scene, including the celebrity favorite app Raya. However, she found the profiles repetitive and unappealing, often dominated by certain tropes and unrealistic demands.
Oh my God, ask your single girlfriends! Every man is like, ‘Must love mountain biking, and want to go on a hike, and want to be really adventurous and outdoorsy, must love dogs and want to go to the summit of Everest,’
she explained.
I’m like, ‘No, I don’t want to do any of that and if I do I’ll do it when I want to.’ It’s every guy — then it’s a shirtless picture of them on a mountain. You’re like, ‘Dude, save it please.’
Her candid remarks highlight the common frustrations of dating app users who face a narrow range of self-presentations and unrealistic ideals in potential partners.
Balancing Career Ambitions and Family Dreams
Fanning shared her vision of life beyond dating, emphasizing her enduring desire to become a mother, which she regards as her ultimate goal.
There’s still so much to be done [in my career] but I also would love to live on a farm and have three kids,
she said.
Being a mother is the pinnacle to me. It’s the thing I can’t wait for most in my life.
She added a deeply personal note about this lifelong aspiration.
I can’t remember a time when I didn’t want kids. For whatever reason it is something in me.
Support from Family and Sibling Insights
While navigating dating setbacks in Los Angeles, Dakota leans on the support and advice of her younger sister Elle Fanning, 27, who is currently in a relationship with magazine executive Gus Wenner.
My sister spoke to a psychic who said, ‘Your sister is not going to meet the person she is going to marry until she’s 32,’
Dakota recalled to The Times of London.
She told me that a few years ago and I was, like, ’32? I don’t have time for that.’
This reflection illustrates how Dakota grapples with patience and timing in her romantic life.
Previous Dating Experiences and Personal Relationship Standards
Throughout her life in the spotlight, Dakota has had limited public romantic relationships. She dated model Jamie Strachan from 2013 to 2016, followed by short-lived involvements with Logan Markley and Henry Frye. Her views on relationships are shaped by her upbringing and her parents’ long history together.
I have a weird vision of relationships because my parents have known each other since second grade, and they got married right out of college,
Dakota told Glamour in 2013.
I’ve always thought that’s what it’s supposed to be like, and if it’s not, then I don’t want to waste my time on it. Even when I was 14, I was like, ‘I’m not gonna marry this person. What’s the point of doing it?’ It’s not me being naive. I just know what it’s supposed to be like. And I think until I feel that, I cannot be bothered.
Experiences with Raya and Online Dating Profiles
Dakota has spoken openly about her brief and humorous venture into the Raya dating app, created initially by a friend’s insistence. The experience, though short, reinforced her skepticism of online dating platforms.
I did it for fun. My girlfriend made it for me,
she recounted in a Vanity Fair interview last month.
I can confirm that [my husband] is not [on this app]. I’m canceling this thing!
This episode reflects her uneasy but playful approach toward the dating scene, even while maintaining clear standards.
Outlook on Love and Future Possibilities
Despite the rocky terrain of modern romance, Dakota Fanning remains patient and determined. Her statements suggest a conflicted but hopeful attitude, emphasizing self-worth and the importance of finding a meaningful, lasting connection rather than settling.
As she continues to work on her acting career in the U.S. and contemplates family life, Fanning’s journey underscores the complexities many face in today’s dating culture, especially within the pressures of celebrity and public life. Her openness about struggles adds a relatable voice to conversations around singlehood and the search for genuine love.
